Curiosity
by AzaleaFaye
Summary: Hermione reads a piece of parchment that could change her relationship with a certain redhead...goodness, i'm horrible at summaries...this story has hints of H/G, just to let some of you know...please r/r.
1. An Important Announcement

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters used in this story…although I wish I did…

Chapter 1: An Important Announcement

Harry Potter sat on one of the squashy armchairs in the common room, his head resting lazily on his hand. He impatiently glanced towards the staircase leading to the girls' dormitories, then looked amusingly at the redheaded boy sitting across from him who was resting his head on his shoulder. "I reckon Hermione forgot that today's Monday. Odd isn't it? She's usually up earlier than us."

"Yeah," Ron Weasley stifled through a yawn. "Should we just leave her then?"

Before Harry had the chance to reply, his attention was caught by a petite redhead with a beautiful smile plastered on her face. Harry immediately sat up.

"Good morning, Harry! Ron! Have you two been waiting for Hermione?" Ginny Weasley asked. "I should've waited until the two of you came down before I went back upstairs to my dormitory! Anyhow, Hermione has already gone down to breakfast. She's waiting for you two, so you better go."

"Thanks, Ginny," Harry replied, a lopsided grin playing at his lips. "Have you had breakfast already? You can come site next to me – er, I mean, sit next to us…"

"Thanks, but I've already promised Colin and Natalie that I would sit with them," she apologized, her cheeks a bit flushed. "Maybe next time."

"Yes, next time then. See you later!" Harry called out as Ginny went through the portrait hole.

"What was that just now, Harry?" asked Ron, his eyebrows raised in confusion.

"What? Nothing," Harry dismissed with a wave of his hand. "Let's just go. Hermione's waiting."

--------------------------------------------------

"What took you two so long? Dumbledore will be making an important announcement soon. I thought you wouldn't be here for it!"

"And a good morning to you too, Hermione," Ron said with a roll of his eyes. "If we weren't here for the announcement, it would have been entirely your fault – we waited in the common room for half an hour!"

From the deadly look Hermione was giving Ron, Harry immediately sensed that another Weasley-Granger row was about to ensue and, saving his friends from ruining each other's morning, he quickly motioned towards the staff table, where Dumbledore was slowing getting up. "It's alright though, Hermione. We made it just in time for the announcement!"

"Good morning! Seeing as many of you will be dispersing to class soon, I have chosen this time to make an announcement regarding an event that will be occurring a week from Saturday." His eyes twinkled as excited murmurs and whispers filled the air. A patient wave of his hand hushed the hall. "I observed that all of you have been working exceptionally well over these first two months of the school year. After much deliberation, I have decided to give you all a much needed break. Therefore, instead of the usual Halloween Feast, a ball will be held here at the Great Hall beginning at eight o'clock in the evening and ending at exactly midnight."

Excited squeals – mostly from the girls – filled the Great Hall. Even the boys showed some excitement over the news. Dumbledore again silenced the hall with another wave of his hand. "As a reminder: this ball will be no different from other school events. I expect you all to have fun but at the same time to be in your best behavior. That is all. Thank you and have a nice day!"

"That's the important announcement?! A ball?!" exclaimed Hermione with disappointment. "I thought it was something more important!"

"Like what? News that Hogwarts finally liberated its house elves? If you ask me, this ball is a great idea. So Harry, who you planning to ask?"

Harry glanced around the common, taking a glance at a possible date for the ball. His eyes darted towards the Ravenclaw table, where Cho was laughing at a joke her friend said. He was about to say her name when he saw Ginny and two friends enter the Great Hall. A sheepish smile crept across his face.

"Anyone home? Harry?" asked Ron, knocking on his friend's head. 

Harry immediately looked at his watch. "Well, will you look at the time. We're going to be late to class. Mustn't keep professor Binns waiting, eh? Let's go then." He said all this quickly and, stuffing the rest of his toast into his mouth, stood up and walked out of the Great Hall. 

"Late?! We have forty-five minutes left before class! What is he on about?" Ron said to no one in particular. "You coming then?"

"You go ahead, I'll catch up."

"Alright. See you in class then!" Ron quickly stood up and grabbed a handful of toast. "Oi, Harry! Wait up!" 

-----*---*-----

Well, there yah have it…that's the first chapter. The romance part comes later, so please be patient. Also, if you have the time, please review my work. It would be much appreciated! Thanks, and please wait for the next chapter… 


	2. A Close Call

Disclaimer: sadly, the characters used in this fanfic are not mine…but if they were, then hey…that would be great!

Author's note: hello. Thanks so much for those who took the time and read the first chapter of my very first fic. I appreciate your kind comments SO MUCH! Well then, here's the second chapter of curiosity. You might not like it – I wouldn't know that until you guys review (ahem!) – but I feel this chapter is an important one because it is the basis for the next few chapters…hopefully it's alright. Alrighty…I'll stop yapping now. Enjoy! 

Chapter Two: A Close Call

Hermione entered Professor Binns' class and took her usual seat next to Harry, who to her annoyance, was already showing early signs of nodding off. Ron, on the other hand, seemed far from nodding off; he was too busy eating the last piece of toast he had nicked before running after Harry not long ago.

Fifteen minutes into the class, Professor Binns continued to drone on about the various involvements of trolls and goblins in the wizarding world. And as always, almost all of his students have fallen asleep. Only four people were actively scribbling down the information – one of whom was Ron, his forehead scrunched up in complete concentration. Hermione was about to congratulate him for finally doing something responsible when she noticed Ron slipping the parchment to a half awake Harry.

_I'd rather be in divination than this class. Atleast in Trelawney's we only predict our deaths. This guy is an actual cause of it._

Ron shot Hermione a crooked grin, which Hermione received with a roll of her eyes and a characteristic "hmph!" of annoyance.

~~*~~

"Another round then, Harry?"

"I suppose. Nothing better to do around here anyway."

Classes for the day had just ended half an hour ago and the two boys were ten minutes into their second match – Ron having won the first match in five minutes – when they were interrupted by a frustrated scream.

"I can't believe this!"

Hermione barged into the common room – her face contorted into a mixture of anger, frustration, and annoyance. She looked around the room, ignoring the fearful glances she received from the first years, and stomped her way towards Harry and Ron.

"What's up, Hermione?" asked Harry, his eyebrows scrunched up in concentration, trying to best the destruction Ron's pieces have done to his.

"I've just been to Professor Binns' classroom looking for my History of Magic book, but I couldn't find it. I've looked everywhere – _even the library_!" she exclaimed with a pout. "I really wanted to get a head start on that essay about the Troll and Goblin Act of 1688."

Ron shot Hermione an incredulous look (Harry was still agonizing over his next move). "That essay isn't due until next week! Can't you put it off until Friday or something? I'm sure by then you book will have turn up."

"Yes but I really want to finish by tonight. I want to get some reading in for arithman—oh here Harry!"

Hermione shoved Harry off his seat and ordered one of his knights to brutally behead Ron's bishop. She rolled her eyes at Harry, flashed a triumphant grin at Ron, and said the one word Harry had never uttered throughout the whole match (or any match, come to think of it): "check!"

"Hey, thanks Hermione!" exclaimed Harry, giving his pieces – who were cheering and applauding Hermione's move – an I-was-about-to-do-that look.

"Oi! No helping!" said Ron, quickly ordering his queen to take the knight's place. The three watched (Ron with a smug look on his face) as the queen gracefully glided towards the knight, pulled him off his horse, and punched him across the fave.

Satisfied, Ron looked up at Harry – who was obviously disappointed at the abrupt end to his (well, Hermione's) triumphant move – then reverted his eyes back on the girl in front of him.

"But really though, Hermione, you need to lighten up! You're a prefect; you don't need to prove to us that you're smart – everybody knows that already! There's this concept called procrastination: you should really try it sometime!"

"I'm not trying to prove anything! And no, Ron. I will not procrastinate like you two. I don't fancy the idea of scribbling in random things just to meet the two feet minimum, unlike _some people_ I know," she snapped, glaring at her friends. "But I suppose it wouldn't hurt to start the essay tomorrow, seeing as I'm awfully close to beating you."

 The two boys watched as Harry's bishop pounced on one of Ron's pawns and smashed it to bits. "I believe that's another check, Mr. Weasley," Hermione smugly said with a big, toothy smile.

"Ha! What now, Ron?!" Harry asked with a bigger smile than the prefect.

"Shut up, Harry!" Ron retorted. "I thought I said '_no helping_'? Besides, I reckon that essay's a tad bit difficult, so why don't you start on it? Here you go then." He handed Hermione his History of Magic book. "Get to writing."

"Finally! Took you long enough to do that. Thanks, Ron!" And with that, Hermione got up and left the two boys (much to Harry and his pieces' disappointment).

"Got her out of the way," said Ron with a roll of his eyes. "Well then, that was a close call, eh? Let's just get this over with." He ordered his queen to take the place of Harry's bishop.

"Check!"

"Damn…"

--*---*--

I know what you guys are saying: gosh, this chapter sucked. That's alright. I know it did. But as I said before, this is an important chapter because it will set the scene for the upcoming chapter, An Interesting Conversation, which marks the beginning of what this whole story is really about. I've already written chapters 3 and 4; and chapter 5 is on the works right now. I must say, chapter 4 is pretty good…so if you guys want to read that chapter, please review…I will post the third chapter once I get Atleast five reviews for this chapter. I would really appreciate any comments…well, thanks for taking the time and reading this little story of mine. 

Btw…those who want to give me ideas or anything and want my email addy, please let me know through your reviews. Thanks!

~~:azaleafaye:~~


	3. An Interesting Conversation

Disclaimer: As I've said before, I sadly do not own any of the characters used in this fanfic…but it would be really cool if I did, right?

Author's Note: wow…I would again like to thank those people who read chapter two and said that it did not suck. Thanks so much! I'm so glad that people are reading this fic. I thought no one was gonna read it; but I was wrong, obviously. Hopefully, more people will read this. Maybe some of you can spread the word or something? Oh well…anyhow, here's the third chapter of Curiosity. Don't forget to review – let me know what you thought of it, good or bad. Well, enjoy!

Chapter Three: An Interesting Conversation

Hermione sat on her four poster, reading Ron's battered History of Magic book. She has been reading for two and a half hours and, with a quick glance at her watch, knew that dinner will be ready in twenty minutes. She took her quill, dipped it in ink, and was about to mark something on the page when she remembered that the book belonged to someone else. _But I'm sure Ron wouldn't mind. After all, this book is already in poor condition. Wait…all the more reason not to write on it, I suppose._ After a few minutes of debating, Hermione finally decided to grab a spare piece of parchment. As she got off her bed, she accidentally knocked Ron's book to the floor, making her jump. 

"Oh Goodness! Sorry about that!" said Hermione, quickly (but carefully) picking up Ron's practically torn book. "Wait, who am I apologizing to?" She looked around the dormitory, checking to see if anyone heard her apologizing to a book, and gave a dry laugh. She was shaken off her silliness, however, when she noticed a piece of wrinkly parchment, folded in half, sticking out of Ron's book.

"Hey, what's this?" Hermione wondered, pulling out the spare parchment and recognizing Ron's messy but miraculously legible handwriting. She gave a small giggle after reading the first three sentences: _I'd rather be in divination than this class! Atleast in Trelawney's, we only predict our deaths. This guy is an actual cause of it!_

Hermione smiled lightly and looked at the piece of parchment with amusement. _This must be Ron and Harry's conversation during Professor Binns' class, she thought. For a few minutes, Hermione debated whether to read the content of the parchment or not. Normally, she would never poke her nose into her best friends' business; but this time, she was just too curious as to why the two weren't paying attention in class. In the end, her curiosity got the best of her and she decided to read on._

H: I'd rather have neither, if you ask me 

_R: I suppose you're right. So, what's up with you Harry?_

_H: Me? Nothing. Why do you ask?_

_R: Just wondering. You were acting a bit odd earlier_

_H: Was I? Just tired, I suppose _

_R: Right then. So, got any ideas who you'll be asking to the ball?_

_H: blank_

_R: Did you forget how to read? Who are you planning to ask?_

_H: Ginny._

Hermione giggled. Earlier that morning, Ron gave a loud _WHAT?! During Professor Binns' lecture. He got mixed reactions of annoyance (from Professor Binns and Hermione), amusement (from his fellow Gryffindors), and anxiety (from Harry), which he received with a sheepish grin. __Ron can be so adorable when he's being protective of Ginny, thought Hermione with admiration, not realizing that she described her best friend as adorable._

H: That is, if you don't mind 

_R: Harry, you prat! You could have told me you liked her!_

_H: So it's alright then?_

_R: of course it is! I'm sure she'd say yes anyway_

_H: What about you then?_

_R: What about me?_

_H: Who are you planning to ask?_

_R: Binns is yapping on about faeries and such; shouldn't you be listening?_

_H: Faeries? He's talking about trolls! And I though I wasn't paying attention. Now then, who are you planning to ask?_

_R: blank_

_H: Don't weasel out of this one, Weasley. Now say it!_

_R: What, out loud?_

_H: No, you git! Write it down._

_R: Fine. I was planning to ask YOU, Harry Potter, to the ball next week_

_H: No wonder you were disappointed when I mentioned asking Ginny_

_R: Yup. I was so sure you would want to go with me!_

_H: Too bad we both don't swing that way, eh? Now tell me, who will you be asking?_

_R: Persistent. Alright. I will be asking the one person I should've ask first to the Yule Ball last year:_

(a/n: sorry if I put H and R on there. I didn't want anyone to get confused…)

But who this girl was, Hermione never found out. _The bell probably rang before he had the chance to write name down. She couldn't help but giggle at Ron's determination not to divulge the girl's name, and this made her even more eager to find out who exactly Ron was planning to ask. "It's alright. I'm sure Harry knows who it is by now," Hermione assured herself. "I'll just coax him into telling me her name." And with that said, she placed the parchment inside her robe pockets and walked out of the dormitory._

~~*~~~*~~

Hermione scanned the crowded Gryffindor common room for a sign of her two best friends. This, however, was an impossible task since practically every single Gryffindor (except Harry and Ron) were present in the room. Finally giving up, Hermione plopped down on one of the many squashy armchairs and waited for the two boys. After five minutes of waiting, she was ready to give up until a petite redhead caught her attention with a very cheerful wave.

"Hi Hermione!" greeted Ginny, walking towards the prefect. "Want to come down to dinner with me?"

"Sure. But have you seen either Ron or Harry? I'm sure those two are hungry by now; they would definitely want to come down to dinner with us."

"Actually, Hermione, they left fifteen minutes ago. They both got tired of playing chess. Ron asked me to tell you that they'll be waiting for you at the table," explained Ginny. "Shall we go then? I'm sure they've saved some seats for us."

~~*~~~*~~

"What took you two so long?" said Ron, mocking Hermione's impatient greeting earlier that day. "I was worried the two of you wouldn't be here for the potatoes!"

"Oh shut up, Ron!" Hermione giggled, sitting next to the redhead and lightly hitting his arm. "The food isn't even here yet! Hello Harr—goodness, are you alright? You really don't look so well."

Hermione looked at her friend with worry. Harry was awfully quiet, hid hair messier than usual – as though he kept running his hand through it a dozen times in hopes of taming the mess. To add to that, his face was as red as a tomato and he kept shooting nervous glances at Ron. "I'm alright. Just cold, I suppose," Harry replied with a squeak. 

"Are you sure you're fine, Harry?" asked Ginny, her voice filled with concern.

"Er…yes…yeah…yeah…"

Dinner passed by rather quietly after Harry's squeaky reply. For forty minutes, none of the four talked much – each was too busy shoveling food into their mouths. Well, everyone except Harry. He kept poking at his food, as though inspecting whether or not it was properly cooked. For the whole forty minutes, all he did was poke at his food and shoot nervous glances at Ron.

"Well, that was a great dinner!" said Ron, patting his full stomach and giving a hearty burp. "Harry! You haven't eaten anything! You've been poking at those potatoes for forty minutes! Now why don't you just stay put and eat once your appetite returns? Ginny – you stay with Harry."

"Alright…" she said, a mixture of concern and confusion on her face. "But why me? Why can't you two stay with Harry?"

"Er—that's because…er…Hermione and I are…going to take a walk out by the lake." Ron quickly replied, taking a hold of Hermione's wrist. 

"We are?"

"Yes we are. Not let's go so Harry can eat in peace," Ron answered, giving Harry a wink and dragging Hermione off her seat and out the Great Hall.

~~**~~~~~**~~

Hmm…I wonder what's going to happen during their walk? Well, I know, but you guys don't. The answer will be revealed in chapter 4. So again, if you guys want to read that chapter, please review. I'll post chapter 4 once I get Atleast 5 reviews for this chapter. Well, thank you for reading this chapter!! 

~~:azaleafaye:~~ 


	4. An Unnecessary Argument

Disclaimer: The characters are still not mine…obviously. If they were, I'd be a rich, British woman – and I'm not…

Author's Note: Holy Guacamole! I can't believe the number of people who reviewed the third chapter. I was hoping that at least five people would review, but instead, I get about 20 reviews for that chapter alone! Thank you SO much!!! Anyhow, I decided it's time for me to stop torturing you guys; that's why I'm posting the fourth chapter of this fanfic. This chapter will remain untitled until the next chapter, because I wouldn't want to spoil anything by putting in the title…I hope this chapter will be alright…again, please let me know what you think after reading this by reviewing! I would really appreciate it. Well, enjoy!

Chapter Four: 

"Ron! Why in the world did you all of sudden get the urge to take a walk?!" Hermione exclaimed, trying hard to keep up with the redhead, who had a firm but gentle grip on her wrist. "Harry doesn't look too well. Aren't you a bit concerned?"

"Trust me – Harry's fine," Ron replied, finally letting go of Hermione's wrist. "The man's just nervous about asking my little sister to the ball."

"He is? That's a relief then. For a moment there, I thought he was seriously sick. Well, let's hope Ginny says yes."

"Of course she will," Ron said with confidence as he and Hermione continued their walk by the lake. "Don't really know what he's so nervous about. You'd think the boy who lived wouldn't be scared of rejection. Besides, he should know by now that Ginny fancies him."

The pair walked for a few more minutes, finally deciding to stop at a cool spot next to the lake. They didn't talk much; each seemed to be a bit preoccupied with their own thoughts. Ron was just staring out at the lake, his forehead scrunched in concentration. Once in a while, he would steal a quick glance at Hermione, who seemed as though she has never taken in the sight of moonlight reflecting on the lake before.

"It's a bit chilly out here, isn't it?" Hermione whispered, breaking the silence, tugging at her robes.

"Did you want to go inside then?"

"No, let's stay here," she said, plopping down on the grass. "I wouldn't want to make Harry even more nervous about asking your sister to the ball." She gave out a nervous giggle and shot a glance at Ron, who continued to gaze at the lake. Hermione followed suit, taking in the beauty and the majesty of the lake as she played with a loose thread on her robe. She suddenly remembered something when she felt a piece of folded parchment inside her robe pocket.

"Listen, Hermione – "

"Ron, I was wondering – oops! I'm sorry…"

"No, it's alright. You go ahead: Ladies first and all that…" said Ron, the tips of his ears turning slightly red.

"Thanks. Well, I was wondering about…something," Hermione said, trying to find the right words to start the conversation. "Since Harry is asking Ginny to the ball, I wanted to know who _you'll_ be asking." She said all this slowly, pointedly avoiding Ron's eyes and trying to casual as she can. "I'm not trying to pry into your business or anything but I was thinking…maybe I can…help you or something. It's just that, when I was reading your conversation with Harry—"

"What conversation?" Ron interjected, a look of confusion and worry on his face.

"Umm…this conversation," she replied meekly, taking out the parchment from within her pocket and handing it to Ron. "I know I shouldn't have read it, but I really wanted to know what you two were so preoccupied about during Professor Binns' class."

"You're right: you shouldn't have read it. I mean honestly, Hermione, if we wanted to include you in the conversation, Harry and I would have passed the parchment onto you! But we didn't, did we?" Ron said, irritation apparent in his voice. "Sometimes, Harry and I feel that its necessary to have a strictly man-to-man conversation – meaning a girl can't really butt in on our talks. I know you're a prefect and all, but that doesn't mean you have the right to stick your nose in on the business of other people!"

"I didn't mean to read it!" Hermione retorted, standing up and facing the now red-faced Ron, annoyance showing in her voice. "The only reason why I brought it up was because I wanted to help you with asking the girl. I would think you'd appreciate it, what with me being your friend and all!"

"Well, if you really were my friend, you would've had the sense _not_ to read that private conversation between Harry and I!" Ron yelled. "But you're Hermione: the perfect prefect who sticks her nose in on other peoples' business because she has good intentions. Well for your information, I don't _need_ your help!"

"Fine!" Hermione replied, waving her hands in frustration. "Oh and by the way Ron, if you think _I'm _nosy, then you obviously haven't looked at a mirror lately because you're just as nosy as I am – you just don't think you are. And if you need any convincing, then I suggest looking back to last year when you kept badgering me for the reason why I went with Viktor to the ball or when you kept looking at Viktor and I when he was saying his good-bye's. You may not think of those as poking your nose in on other people's business, but trust me Ron – it is!"

She turned around, brushed grass of her robes, and slowly walked back to the castle, furious.

"Viktor, Viktor, Viktor – I was wondering when _his _name would come up!" spat Ron, shaking his head in disbelief at Hermione's retreating form. "You look at that Bulgarian asshole like he's some sort of prince. But my feeling about him won't change. He _did not_ deserve to go to the ball with you! And you can call my constant badgering and my curious glancing whatever the hell you want; but for me, I just didn't want to see that idiot hurt you!"

Ron looked down at his shoes, pointedly refraining from looking at Hermione, who was now angrily trudging back towards him with a look of extreme anger. Hermione stopped a foot away from Ron – who finally looked up to meet her icy glare – and slapped him hard across his face.

"Don't you _dare _call Viktor an asshole or an idiot!" said Hermione through clenched teeth. "He deserved to go to the ball with me as much as any boy. Well, any boy except you, Ron. You don't deserve to go with any girl, not even – no, especially – with me!" She turned to leave, but again stopped. "And for the record, I _do not see Viktor as a prince. But he might as well be, compared to an insensitive asshole such as yourself!" And with that, she sharply turned and ran back to the castle._

Ron watched as Hermione's form disappeared from view. _Congratulations, Ron, he thought with a sigh. __You've managed to ruin the evening with another unnecessary argument. Guess there's no point in asking her to the ball. "After all, she just said I don't deserve to go with I __any girl – especially her," he said, gloomily touching his still painful cheek._

~~*~~~*~~

Umm…so what did you guys think? I hope you're not mad at what I did. As much as I love Ron and Hermione, I feel they should first realize how important their friendship is…after all, friends make the best lovers, right? Or at least that's what I heard. But anyhow, please review and let me know what you thought of this chapter. It's alright if you didn't like it. I'll post chapter five as soon as I get some reviews or possibly in two days or so…again, I would like to thank those who have been reading this story. I really appreciate it!

~~:AzaleaFaye:~~


	5. An Assumed Hate

Disclaimer: It's been five chapters and this fanfic has been a success so far. But I still don't own any of the characters used in this fic…

Author's Note: I'm glad to see that you guys liked chapter 4. It's my favorite chapter so far. Again, I thank those who reviewed the previous chapters – it makes me so happy that people appreciate something I worked hard on. You guys are the best! And I'm sorry if I disappointed any of you guys for not making this chapter fluffy. I think it's better that the fic has a realistic feel to it, yah know? But don't worry – there will be minor fluff near the end. Anyhow, here's chapter five: I feel this chapter is the most poorly written of the ones I have so far. So if any of you see something wrong with it, I apologize in advance. Please enjoy!

Chapter Five: An Assumed Hate

Ginny gave a warm smile as she watched her brother drag Hermione out of the Great Hall. _Don't do anything stupid, Ron_, she thought, giving the two one last look before shifting her attention to Harry, who still hadn't touched anything on his plate. She noticed he was acting even more odd than he was when dinner began – he kept giving Ginny nervous looks. And when she met his gaze with a warm smile, Harry looked ready to throw up. _What is wrong with him?_

Ginny finally chose to ignore Harry's weird antics, instead sitting in silence, waiting for the boy to pick up his fork and begin eating. But when ten minutes had passed and the Harry still hadn't touched anything, Ginny started to get annoyed. "Are you going to eat anything at all, Harry?" asked Ginny, trying to mask her irritation by asking him in a sweet voice.

"…"

Ginny sighed. "Listen Harry, I don't mean to be rude but if you're not going to eat, then I suggest we go back to the common room. I'm sure we both have a lot of work to do…"

Harry said nothing, which prompted Ginny to stand up, apologize, and leave. She slowly turned around to walk away, but was stopped by Harry – who had gently taken a hold of her hand. "Wait. I'd really love it if you'd stay for a few more minutes," said Harry, his previous nervousness forgotten. "I wanted to ask you something."

"Of course, I'm sorry," she replied, taking a seat next to Harry, whose hand was still gently clasping hers. "Now what was it that you wanted to ask me?"

Harry ran his free hand through his hair and heaved a sigh. _Come on, Harry…it's just Ginny. You've faced far greater challenges than this. Besides, you've asked a girl to the ball before. Do it now!_ "Well, I wanted to ask if…er…if anyone has asked you to the ball yet."

Ginny inwardly smiled, feeling her cheeks go red (Harry's hand entwined with hers had already given her cheeks a pinkish complexion). "No one has asked me yet, Harry."

"Well, would it be alright if I asked you?"

"Asked me what?"

"Asked if you would like to go to the ball with me…" said Harry, amazed that he actually managed to say the words clearly. 

Ginny stared at Harry in shock, her eyes wide open and her mouth slightly hanging. _Whoa…this has got to be a dream._ After a few seconds (in which Ginny gave herself a pinch, just to make sure she wasn't actually dreaming), she snapped back into reality and gave Harry her answer: "I would _love_ to go to the ball with you, Harry."

"Good," sighed Harry in relief. "I thought you were going to say no. We'll have a great time, I'm sure." He flashed a huge grin and let go of Ginny's hand. "I think my appetite's back."

"Glad to hear that," Ginny said with a giggle. "Now hurry up and eat so we can get out of here and back to the common room." She nodded towards the direction of the entrance, where one of their fellow Gryffindors came in, briskly walking towards them. Neville took a seat across from the two. "Harry, is Hermione alright? She seemed upset when she came into the common room."

"Upset? What are you talking about, Neville?"

"She seemed close to tears. I thought you would know…I wonder what's wrong?"

"Maybe something happened? I'm gonna go check on her," said Ginny, a look of concern painted on her face. "Are you coming, Harry?"

"Yeah"

Ginny grabbed a hold of Harry's hand (he was being too slow for her) and dragged him out of the hall, bidding a quick goodbye to Neville. When the pair reached the oak doors, they heard a crashing sound to their right: Ron had just walked straight into one of the many enchanted armors in the castle. Apparently, he wasn't paying much attention to where he was going.

"Ron!" Ginny ran towards her brother, dragging Harry by the hand, with a worried expression on her face. "Are you alright?"

"It is _not_ my day today…" Ron muttered to himself, getting up and facing his sister and best friend. "Hello Ginny; hello Harry. Don't worry about me, Ginny…I'm alright; although I don't think this suit of armor is. Sorry about that," said Ron, apologizing to the pile of armor on the floor. He turned his gaze back at two people with him, giving them a weak grin as he pointed at their clasped hand. "I see you've already asked her, eh Harry? I told you she'd say yes."

Ginny glared at her brother, letting go of Harry's hand. "Since you're alright and all that, I suppose you can tell us what happened to Hermione. Neville said she was close to tears when she entered the common room. What did you do?"

"What does everyone have against me today?" exclaimed Ron. "It's always my fault, isn't it? Listen Ginny; I really don't want to talk about it, alright? I'm sorry…but please do me one favor: check how she's doing. See if she's still furious – or worse, if she's crying."

Ginny looked ready to protest. But thought better of it and agreed to do what her brother had asked. She gave Harry a bewildered look and disappeared towards the direction of Gryffindor Tower. Once Ginny was out of sight, Harry grabbed Ron's arm and pulled him back inside the Great Hall. He forced Ron into a chair at the end of their house table and took a seat opposite his friend, giving Ron a calculating look.

"Are you going to tell me what happened, Ron?"

"…"

"Did she say no?"

"I wish," said Ron bitterly. "If she hadn't brought up bloody Viktor Krum, everything would probably be alright. But no – she just _had_ to talk about Vicky, didn't she? Now Hermione's mad at me and I feel like a piece of shit."

"Listen Ron – now don't get mad with what I'm about to say – but you really need to get over this jealousy with Krum," said Harry lightly. "It's ruining your friendship with Hermione, how you always blow up at the mere mention of his name."

"_Jealous_? I am _not jealous_. It just bothers me that the one person whom I really want to take to this year's ball is still talking about _her _date from last year's ball," sighed Ron, running a hand through his messy hair. "How am I supposed to compete with that?!"

Harry rolled his eyes._ Sure…you're not jealous. God Ron, don't make it obvious now._

"You don't need to compete with Krum. You know why? Because you're fine just the way you are. Besides, you have an advantage over him: you and Hermione are friends – you go way back. I'm sure once you apologize to her, all will be forgotten and you can ask her to the ball."

"It's no use, Harry. I'm not apologizing," said Ron, standing up and getting ready to leave. "She was the one who started the argument by bringing _him _up (a/n: which we all know isn't completely true). And besides, she invaded my privacy – friends usually don't do that, right? And let's not forget, despite the number of times we've had rows, she's never slapped me. And guess what happened today?" exclaimed Ron, flinging his arms in frustration and heaving a sigh. "I'm assuming she hates me by now. There's no use. She's stubborn, that girl – can't admit that she's wrong sometimes…Listen, I'm gonna head on back to the common room, Harry. I have things to do…good night." And with that said, Ron turned and left the Great Hall.

Harry shook his head in disbelief. _God, those two are _both _stubborn…I wonder who'll apologize first. Let's just hope one of them does – I don't want this to last too long…_

~~*~~~*~~~

Yes, I know…this chapter sucked. I wanted to add the scene between Harry and Ginny, so I decided to do this chapter. As always, please review. I would appreciate it a whole lot! Let me know what you liked/disliked about this chapter. And if you have any suggestions at all, please email me at snoopinay1033@yahoo.com. I haven't written chapter six yet, but I already have an idea what to write about. Please be patient for the next update. I have a writing assignment due on Friday, so I may now be able to update the next chapter soon. Well, thanks again for taking the time and reading my humble and simple little fic. 

~~:azaleafaye:~~


	6. An Affirmed Liking

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters used in this story. If I did, wouldn't that be great?!

Author's Note: Hello everyone! I again would like to thank those people who took the time and read the previous chapter. I am so glad that I am getting such positive response for this story. You guys rock! Anyhow, here's chapter six. I know some of you are wondering what HeHHHer  Hermione's thoughts or feelings are about the argument. I hope you guys don't mind that I'm not immediately thrusting the romance part – but please don't lose faith in this story, alrighty? Well, have fun reading this chapter. I hope it's not bad…and again, please review if you have the time!

Chapter Six: An Affirmed Liking

Ginny stood in front of the fifth year girls' dormitory, trying to muster the courage to knock on the door. _I wonder what Hermione's doing in there_, she thought, pressing her ears against the cold wooden door. She finally decided to open the door after hearing a frustrated scream from within the room. "Hermione? May I come in?" asked Ginny, gently rapping on the door. She heard scrambling from within the room, followed by the sound of hangings being pulled shut. Ginny took this as her cue to enter, opening the door with a creak and walking towards Hermione's bed slowly. "Please tell me what Ron did," Ginny inquired, drawing back the hangings on Hermione's bed. 

The bushy haired girl sat up, her cheeks flushed with red and her eyes a bit watery. "Nothing – he didn't do anything," said Hermione coldly as a lone tear cascaded down her cheek.

"Right. My git of a brother did not do anything to make you upset," said Ginny, rolling her eyes. "Is that why you were about ready to tear me apart when I said his name? Please tell me what happened – I won't leave until you do."

Hermione gave a frustrated sigh and motioned for Ginny to take a seat on the bed (or anywhere, really). She told the redhead what Ron had said out by the lake, and what she had done to him because of it. "He has a lot of nerve, calling someone he doesn't even know very well an asshole! Your brother can be such an insensitive prat sometimes!" Hermione sniffled, angrily wiping her nose with the back of her hand. "He makes me so mad sometimes! It's so frustrating how he's always arguing with me about the stupidest things. I mean, so what if I read their stupid conversation?  It's not like he's never listened in on other people's conversations before. And I had good intentions, wanting to help him ask the girl to make sure she says yes. But did he say thanks? _NO! He got mad at me for being a friend. Sometimes, I just don't know what the heck is going on in that boy's head. One minute we're cordial and then the next minute, we hate each other. Can't he just make up his mind?!" She sniffled again, this time wiping another tear running down her cheek._

Ginny was inwardly smiling as she listened to Hermione ramble on about her brother._ Wow…for someone who's mad at Ron, she sure as heck talks about him a lot… She suddenly looked up when she saw a tear roll down her friend's face. "Hermione? I don't mean to be rude or anything, but why are you crying?" asked Ginny, her face a mask of confusion. "I mean, I think you were right in slapping my brother for being such an idiot: don't feel bad about it."_

"Honestly, I don't know why," whispered Hermione. "On one hand, I'm so mad at Ron for being so insensitive. But on the other hand, I feel bad for slapping him…maybe I should apologize?"

"I don't know, Hermione. If you feel it's the right thing to do, then go ahead," said Ginny supportively. "But I think Ron should be the one apologizing – he's the one who started the whole argument."

Hermione sighed, running a hand through her bushy, brown hair. She stared at her bedspread, deep in thought as to whether or not she should apologize to Ron. She was so bust thinking that she didn't realize Ginny, who was sitting at the edge of Hermione's bed, was giving her an appraising look.

"Hermione, what do you think of my brother?" asked Ginny, breaking the silence between the two. Hermione looked at Ginny in wonder. _Now where did that come from?_

"What do I think of Ron?" repeated Hermione, surprise apparent in her voice.

"Yeah. What do you think of him?"

"Well, he's a wonderful person, really. And I'm not just saying this because he's your brother – it's the truth," Hermione said, giving Ginny a sincere smile. "He always makes me smile whenever he makes a sarcastic comment. And he's so adorable when he's clueless about something." She gave another smile. "Overall, he's just a fun person to be around with. Not that Harry isn't a fun person – he's just a different kind of fun compared to Ron."

The girls sat in silence, both wearing fond smiles.

"Do you like him?"

"Of course I like Ron – he's my best friend, after all," replied Hermione, her cheeks a bit flushed.

"That's not what I meant," said Ginny dismissively. "I wanted to know if you liked him more than just a friend. It's just that…I think you compliment each other so well: you calm my brother down whenever he's mad at something or someone (a/n: other than Hermione) and he snaps you back to reality whenever you're too engrossed with schoolwork. I mean, despite the number of times you two have argued, I know deep down neither one of you can stand not being on speaking terms with the other…you two are just perfect together."

Hermione stared at the redhead, unable to say a word. She was surprised that Ginny would even consider the two of them together. But this didn't stop her from blushing. _But she is right about one thing, Hermione thought.__ I can't stand not being able to talk to Ron whenever we have an argument…and it's true that he always manages to inject some life into me whenever schoolwork becomes too stressful…_

"Well, I better go, Hermione," Ginny announced, standing up and halting Hermione's train of thoughts. "I'm sure Ron and Harry are wondering about me by now. Listen – you and my brother have had rows before. I'm sure once Ron gets over his stubbornness, everything will be back to normal."

And with that said, Ginny gave Hermione a supportive hug and smile, and then turned to leave. The prefect watched as the redhead slipped out of the room, quietly shutting the door.

Oh my God. Ginny's right – Ron is perfect… 

~~**~~~**~~ 

So…what did you guys think? I hope this chapter wasn't bad or anything. And I know – it's short. I went through a time last a few days ago where I couldn't write anything…sorry if it's short. It's all I can come up with for now… I've already written the next chapter, which is way longer compared to this one. So, if you want to see what happens next, I'll post the next chapter once I get some reviews for this one or after two days…and I apologize if the quality of the next few chapters are poor. I've been going through some problems and whatnot, so please bear with me. Again, thanks for taking the time and reading this little ol' story of mine. And thank you so much for the wonderful comments and praises. You guys are the only reason why I continue writing this. God bless you all!

~~:azaleafaye:~~


	7. An Unfair Deal

Disclaimer: You guys already know the deal. I don't own any of the characters used in this story… they belong to the fabulous J.K. Rowling

Author's Note: Hi! I'm not even sure if people are still reading this story, but hopefully a few still do. Anyhow, again, thanks to those who reviewed.  

Anyhow, here's chapter seven. It's a bit longer than the previous chapter and I kinda like it…hopefully you guys will too! And I know some of you are really getting impatient with this story, what with it not being fluffy and all…but _please_ be patient…I'll add some fluff before this story ends. I promise! Well, enjoy!

Chapter Seven: An Unfair Deal

Hermione entered the Great Hall in a run, almost knocking down a group of first years in her haste. She scanned the house table for any empty seats, finding one next to the person who, for the past four days, had not said a word to her. _Great…I'm sure Ron's going to ignore me again_, the prefect thought as she calmly took a seat next to the redhead. "Good morning, Harry," she said with a smile. "Ron," she greeted the boy with a curt nod, but stared at Ron, expecting a response. She got none.

"Honestly Ron! I've been trying to get you to speak to me for the past four days and you never respond!" Hermione exclaimed in exasperation. "How do you expect me to apologize?"

"Well maybe I don't want your apology. Maybe I'm fine with not speaking to you!" sneered Ron, abruptly standing up. "I'm out of here – class is about to start…"

Harry and Hermione watched as Ron hastily exited the Great Hall. "I'm gonna go – "

"Yeah Harry. Go on ahead. Try to talk some sense into him…"

"Thanks Hermione. I'll see you in class then."

Hermione watched as Harry ran out of the Great Hall, calling after Ron. She looked down at her empty plate and heaved a sigh. "Might as well get to class," she said, standing up and walking away, breakfast forgotten.

~~**~~~**~~~

"Ron, you've really got to stop with the whole stubborn act," said Harry, striding next to the redhead, who still looked a bit peeved. "I think Hermione really wants to apologize, but you keep brushing her off!"

"I'll accept her apology when I'm ready for it," said Ron stubbornly, skidding to a halt by the dungeon.

"Well…that's a first," sneered a cold, drawling voice.

The two boys turned around, facing three stupidly grinning faces. "A Weasley not pouncing on something voluntarily given to him."

"Shove off, Malfoy!" said Harry coldly. "You have no idea what we're talking about."

"Now does that really matter?" asked Draco with a sneer. "I'll make a comment whenever I want to, Potter. Say…something's wrong with this picture…Potty and the Weasel are both here but – ah yes! Where's that know-it-all mudblood, Granger?" Malfoy looked around in amusement as students from both houses looked on. "Did she finally realize how dull the two of you are? Or is she off kissing another professor's ass? She's probably off wi—"

Ron lunged at Malfoy, grabbing the Slytherin's robes and slamming him to the wall. "You son of a bitch! If you insult Hermione again, I will—"

"You will what, Mr. Weasley?" barked Professor Snape, who unfortunately opened the dungeon doors right when Ron uttered those select words. "I suggest you keep your comments – _and your hands_ – to yourself before you do any more damage to your house. That will be ten points from Gryffindor; and if anyone argues, I will make it fifteen. Now get inside!"

Malfoy sneered at Ron, a twinkle of amusement in his eyes as he adjusted his robes. Ron returned this with a glare, sweeping past the blond, Harry closely following.

The whole class remained silent once Snape began his instruction. Indeed, in the first fifteen minutes of class, all that could be heard were the scratching of quill onto parchment and chalk onto blackboard. This monotony, however, was broken when the heavy door slowly creaked open, allowing Hermione to enter the dungeon conspicuously.

"So nice of you to join us, Ms. Granger," said Snape, sending a cold glare towards the bushy-haired girl. "I was not aware that prefects were given the privilege of being late to class."

"I'm sorry, professor. I was sidetr—" 

"Spare me the excuses, Miss Granger. Now take a seat next to Mr. Malfoy. Oh, and before I forget: twenty points will be taken off from Gryffindor." He gave a thin-lipped smile. "Well, what are you all waiting for?! Begin!"

Hermione walked towards the empty seat next to Malfoy, giving the blond a cold look before taking out the necessary ingredients for the escape potion (Hermione didn't bother writing them down from the board; she had read about the potion prior to class). She gave Harry, who was sitting next to Ron at the table across from her, a smile, but groaned upon hearing a familiar drawl she has grown to hate.

"You missed quite a show before class, Granger," said Malfoy, a malicious glint in his eyes. "Your boyfriend here (he nodded towards Ron) tried to hurt me – as if he could, anyway – simply because I was stating the truth." He smirked, throwing some cockroach legs into his cauldron. "I mean, I was right that you were trying to earn some extra points from some professor, eh Granger? For someone so intelligent you sometimes make stu—"  

"That's it!" yelled Ron, slamming a bottle of pig's eyes onto the table, a look of extreme anger on his face. "Leave her the _fuck_ alone, Malfoy! Or else, I will stick your wand up your arrogant ass and hex you with it!"

A loud hush of silence filled the room; the only sound that can be heard was the bubbling of cauldrons. Snape gave Ron a dark, piercing look. "Detention, Weasley," the potions master said, his voice never wavering. "I told you to keep your com—" 

"But professor, it wasn't entirely his fault," uttered a meek but determined voice. A wave of heads turned to its source: Hermione. "Malfoy was making snide comments about me and Ron merely said those words on my behalf."

"Miss Granger – I should have known you would not be able to keep your mouth shut," said Snape coldly. "Are you then insinuating that a student from _my house_ instigated Mr. Weasley's sudden outburst?"

"I just thought it was unfair that yo—"

"Unfair? Well then, since Weasley serving detention by himself seems unfair to you, then I am sure you wouldn't mind accompanying him." Snape stared at Hermione, waiting for a reaction, smirking when the girl remained silent. "And if that seems unfair to you, Ms. Granger, then I will also take fifteen points off Gryffindor."

The rest of the class remained silent the whole time, a mixture of expressions on their faces. Every Gryffindor in the room wore masks of anger, giving their professor cold glares. The Slytherins, in contrast, wore big, satisfied smiles on their faces, beaming at Snape.

"Well, since Ms. Granger and Mr. Weasley took most of our brewing time, I will end this class early," said Snape in an annoyed tone, waving his wand in the air, immediately emptying every cauldron in the room of its contents. He looked at the grinning faces around him. "But this does not mean that examination will not be covering escape potions. I shall hold you all responsible in learning them. Now get out of here. Granger, Weasley: get over here so I can arrange your punishment."

~~*~~~*~~

Ron and Hermione wore expressionless masks as they walked back to Gryffindor Tower (Hermione a few feet behind the redhead). Neither one had said a word since receiving their punishment: polishing all the trophies in the trophy room _without magic._ Hermione stared at the floor as she walked, not looking up at the boy walking in front of him. She was suddenly struck out of her thoughts when she slammed into something hard.

"Ow! I'm sorry, Ron!"

"It's alright," the redhead replied, scratching the back of his head. "You know…you really didn't have to do that. Now look, you have to serve detention with me, of all people. How will that look on your perfect prefect record?"

"It's alright. I'm allowed to be imperfect sometimes too, you know. Besides, it wasn't fair for Snape to slap you with a detention you didn't deserve," replied Hermione, waving her hand dismissively. "Unfortunately, it seemed Snape didn't really care about that…" The two walked in silence, side by side, as they continued their return to the common room. No one said a word until Hermione reached out her hand, grasped Ron's arm, and brought him to a halt. 

"Listen Ron, about what I said on Monday—"

"It's alright. I forgive you. Besides, it was really my fault for being an insensitive git," said Ron, the tips of his ears burning red. "So…I apologize."

"Ron, it's fine. Let's just forget that it ever happened, alright?" exclaimed Hermione, extending her hand with a genuine smile. "Are we on speaking terms again then?"

"Yes we are," replied Ron, shaking her hand with friendly fervor, flashing the smiling girl an amicable grin.

~~*~~~*~~

So…how was it? I decided to patch up their friendship. And I know I didn't incorporate anything about Hermione's newly discovered feeling from last chapter, but I will include in on the next one. By the way, I was wondering if you guys could help me with something: do you want me to write the next chapter about the detention or do you want me to write about a Hogsmeade trip or something? I already have an idea as to what I will write about if you want the detention chapter. As for the Hogsmeade chapter, you guys could give me suggestions about it. Well, please let me know either through your reviews (ahem…) or by emailing me at: snoopinay1033@yahoo.com. Well, thanks! And please wait for the next chapter…possibly within this weekend or sometime next weekend…I'll see when I can update this! God bless you all!

~~:azaleafaye:~~


	8. A Weird Week

Disclaimer: I still don't own any of the characters used in this story.

Author's Note: Hello everyone. Again, thanks to those who reviewed and informed me as to what they wanted chapter eight to be about. I'm glad that people are still actively reading this story. Thanks! Well, here's chapter eight, and as most have you told me, it's about the detention together. I hope you guys like it. I had fun writing parts of this chapter. Let me know how it is by reviewing! Thanks! Without further ado, here it is. Enjoy!

Chapter Eight: A Weird Week

"So Ron, when do you plan on asking Hermione to the ball?" It was eight o'clock on a Saturday morning, and the two friends were descending down the staircase to the common room to meet the girl Harry had just spoken of.

"Don't rush me, alright Harry?" said Ron, giving his friend an annoyed look (Ron wasn't much of a morning person). "We just apologized to each other yesterday. It would be too awkward. Besides, I have other things on my mind right now, like that damn detention tonight with Hermione."

"Hey – why don't you as her tonight? I mean, no one else would be around, what with the two of you serving the detention _all by yourselves…_" quipped Harry, giving his friend a sly smile.

"Shut Up!" said Ron, slapping the back of Harry's head as they reached the common room. "You're lucky my sister fancies you, Harry. Otherwise you'd be in a lot of pain right now." The redhead gave his friend a mildly threatening look and then looked around the room. "Where's Hermione?"

"She's already gone down to breakfast," said a familiar voice. Ron and Harry turned to see Ginny come through the portrait hole, a big smile plastered on her face. "You two really need to wake up earlier. But anyway, let's go – Hermione saved us some seats!"

~~*~~~*~~

"Finally! You two need to set your alarm clocks or something!"

"Sorry," said Harry, scratching the back of his head and taking a seat across the two girls. "It's Saturday: you're supposed to get up a little later than usual."

"Besides, it's not as if we missed another important announcement, right?" asked Ron, spreading a good amount of jam on his toast.

"Actually Ron, the two of you did miss an announcement," said Hermione with a smug look. "Dumbledore just announced that students will be allowed to visit Hogsmeade tomorrow in order to prepare for the upcoming ball."

"That's actually not very important, Hermione. We would have found out from someone else anyway," dismissed Harry, taking a drink from his goblet. Hermione shrugged, dropping the subject.

No one said a word for a few minutes as the four heartily ate breakfast. Ginny was the first to speak. "So Hermione…do you have a date for the ball yet?"

Ron choked into his goblet and looked at the prefect, a worried expression on his face. Hermione gave him a quick glance, then shifted her attention to Ginny. "Actually, someone asked me on Wednesday, but I said no. I didn't really know him…"

"Who was it?" inquired Ron, a bit peeved. 

"A sixth year from Ravenclaw – Tristan McGregor," replied Hermione dismissively. "I might just go alone if no one asks me – I honestly don't mind. It's just a ball anyway…" she stood up slowly and gave the three an apologetic look. "Sorry you three, but I have a ton of work to do. I'll be at the library if anyone needs me. See you later!"

The three watched as Hermione exited the Great Hall, her cheeks a bit pink.

I better get a move on… 

~~*~~~*~~

The rest of the day went by rather quickly, despite not having a single meaningful event happen. Hermione spent the rest of the morning and the whole afternoon in the library, getting some advance studying for her OWL's. She mad a brief appearance during lunch. Harry and Ron, on the other hand, spent the whole afternoon with Seamus, Dean, and Neville, talking about various things: schoolwork, muggles, professors, quidditch, and (to Ron's horror) the ball.

(Flashback to fifteen minutes before dinner)

"So, you lot have dates for the ball yet?" asked Seamus. "I heard you asked Ron's sister, Harry. I didn't know you liked her. I thought you liked…what's her name?"

"Cho Chang," replied Dean.

"Well, I do think Cho's pretty," said Harry, his face getting hot. "But I realized I didn't really know much about her. I wanted to go with someone I got along well with and someone I knew…and Ginny's my friend. I know so much about her, you know? And you've got to admit, she's really attractive…"

"She is nice, I went to the Yule ball with her last year, and the whole time she was smiling, even though I kept stepping on her foot half the time," said Neville, giving a nervous chuckle. "What about you Ron? Have you asked anyone yet?"

Ron gave a grunt. 

"I might ask Hermione again," remarked Neville quietly. "I asked her last year but she already had a date. There's no harm in trying again, I suppose. She's a really nice girl."

Ron looked at Neville in shock, his eyes as big as saucers. He was about to say something when his attention was caught by the portrait hole, where Hermione had just emerged.

"Hello everyone!" she greeted with a smile. "Ron, we should go down to dinner – wouldn't want to be late to detention, would we?"

Ron gave a grunt in response, nodded his head, and stood up, walking towards the portrait hole. "You coming?"

"I'll meet you there; let me just put my books upstairs."

~~*~~~*~~

At exactly eight o'clock in the evening, Hermione and Ron entered the trophy room with blank looks on their faces, both dreading the hours of cleaning they were about to do.

"I thought you two wouldn't be here," said Filch impatiently, his annoying cat purring beside him. "Now then, start cleaning – the rags and elbow grease are right next to that ladder. Don't forget to clean the trophies on the top shelf." He bent down and scratched Mrs. Norris behind her ears. "My cat shall keep an eye on you while I patrol the hallways."

The two nodded and watched as Filch exited the room, muttering incoherently to himself.

"Let's start then," said Ron, walking to the corner of the room where a box of rags and two bottles of elbow grease lay next to a ten-foot ladder leaning against the wall. "Why don't we each work on one side of the room? That way, we can work together on that shelf—" he motioned towards a seven-shelved trophy case across the entrance to the room. "I'm sure it won't take that long if we do it that way. Is it alright with you?"

"Sure."

"Right then. Here you go," said Ron, holding out two rags and a bottle of elbow grease with his hands. Hermione took the items from Ron's hands, the tips of her fingers touching the back of his hands. Ron felt the tips of his ears burn up, glancing at their almost holding hands, then looking up at Hermione, who was doing the same thing. She caught Ron's eyes with her, blushed, then turned to walk to the other side of the room.

Both Ron and Hermione said nothing for a whole hour and fifteen minutes. Each was busy cleaning trophies, left to their own thoughts. Once in a while, Ron would throw Hermione glances and Hermione would throw Ron a smile. But both immediately went back to work when Mrs. Norris gave them a piercing look and purred. Indeed, the proud cat did not budge the whole time Ron and Hermione were busy cleaning. She watched the two with great patience. But when a loud giggle was heard from outside the trophy room, she gave the two an_ I'll be back look, then hurried out the room.  _

"I wonder what that was," said Hermione, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ears.

Ron shrugged. "I don't know. You done over there?"

"Just a minute." She wiped some elbow grease off the trophy in her hand, smiling as she saw her reflection. "Done!"

"Good. Help me with the ladder then," Ron said, walking towards the corner where the object stood. "I think it would be better if you cleaned the top trophies. You're much lighter than I am: the ladder can support your weight more easily."

Hermione gave him a disturbed look. "That doesn't seem fair. What will you be doing while I clean?"

"I'll hold onto the ladder to make sure it's stable. Wouldn't want you to fall and hit your head now, would we?"

They leaned the ladder onto the shelf quietly, Ron holding onto its side. Hermione climbed up the ladder, rag and elbow grease in hand, and proceeded to dust the shelf.

"Hey, watch it! You're getting dust all over me!" said Ron, running his hands through his hair vigorously. 

"Ron, don't move too much! You're shaking the ladder!"

"Sorry. Just try not to let the dust fall on me," he apologized, giving his hair one last comb and looking up at Hermione. Unfortunately for Ron, Hermione hadn't noticed that she had dusted a spider off the shelf. The spider landed on Ron's nose – right when her looked up.

"Oh shit! Get it off me! Get it off me!" screamed Ron, frantically brushing the spider off his face, forcing the ladder to teeter off balance.

"Ron! The lad—whoa!" Before she had a chance to finish her sentence, Hermione fell of the ladder, the rag and the bottle of elbow grease flying off her hand. The prefect closed her eyes in anticipation of the cold floor. But the stone floor never came. Instead, she had hit something firm but warm.

"I told you to stay still Ron. It's only a spider – it can't hurt you!" growled Hermione, pushing herself up from the sport she landed on. She opened her eyes. "You nev—" 

The girl didn't finish her sentence. She didn't expect to see Ron underneath her. Her cheeks flushed crimson as she looked at the redhead, who was looking at her seriously, their faces six inches apart. _Whoa…this is too close…why is he looking at me like that? He shouldn't look at me like that…wow…Ron's attractive when he has a serious expression on his face. Hermione moistened her lips with the tip of her tongue._

_God…please don't do that…it makes me want to kiss you…wow…you're really beautiful, Hermione…you're perfect. Without thinking, Ron brought his hand up and tucked a loose strand of hair behind Hermione's ear. He gently ran his hand through her cheek, slowly pulling her face closer to his. Their lips were three-quarters of an inch apart when…_

Meow!

The two friends snapped back to reality, turning their heads towards the door, were Mrs. Norris was staring at the two with inquiring eyes. Hermione sat up, giving a nervous giggle. Ron followed suit. "Are you alright?" he asked, clearing his throat and running his hand through his hair. Hermione nodded with a smile.

"What are you two doing?!"

Filch entered the trophy room, his brows furrowed in anger. "Get back to work! When I come back, I had better see my reflection on every single trophy in this room!" And with that said, he turned and left the room.

~~**~~~**~~ 

Hermione entered the deserted Common Room, and exhausted look on her face. Filch had made her and Ron scrub three trophies over and over again until he was satisfied. Hermione stifled a yawn and turned around to face Ron. "Well, that was awful, wasn't it?"

"Tell me about it. I'm so exhausted," said Ron, yawning and stretching his arms. "I'm sorry about the whole ladder thing, Hermione…"

"It's alright…well, I'm going to bed now." She walked towards Ron, placed a hand on his shoulder, and then gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Good night…"

Ron watched as Hermione ran up the stairs, a small smile playing at her lips. _This has been a weird week: at the beginning of the week, we were mad at each other. Now, we almost kissed…I should really ask her to the ball soon…_

And with that, Ron gently touched his cheek and went up to the boy's dormitories.

~~**~~~**~~

So…how was it? Please tell me…I hope it was alright…anyhow, the next chapter is the Hogsmeade chapter. Will Ron and Hermione talk about what happened during detention? Will that darn redhead finally stop procrastinating and ask her to the ball? Find out on the next chapter of Curiosity. BUT I will not post the next chapter until I get Atleast seven reviews…I'm upgrading it from five…well, have a nice weekend and all that. and again, thanks for reading my story.

~~:azaleafaye:~~ 


	9. A Forgotten Question

Disclaimer: I still do not claim any ownership whatsoever on the characters used in this story. If I did, I would be the happiest person in the world.

Author's Note: Wow…thanks for the great reviews, you guys! I'm glad that people enjoy reading this as much as I enjoy writing it. That previous chapter was a bit difficult to write because I had a major writer's block for about an hour and a half. I'm glad I actually whipped something up! Anyhow, here's the ninth chapter of the story. Hopefully you guys will be happy with this one. And I apologize in advance if you guys don't like this chapter. I think all stories have one chapter that the reader really doesn't agree with, and I think this chapter might be it. Well, hope you will all review this once you're done reading it. Enjoy!

Chapter Nine: A Forgotten Question

Harry and Ron walked down the path towards Hogsmeade, each not saying a word to each other. Ron, in all honesty, was too tired from the detention last night to be in a talkative mood. Harry completely understood this, and knew that engaging Ron in a conversation really isn't the best thing to do at the moment. They continued walking quietly, every now and then passing a townsfolk or a Hogwarts student. Ron finally decided to speak up when the pair reached the outskirts of the town. "So, where do you want to go?"

"Can we go to Honeydukes? I wanted to buy something for your sister," replied Harry, hoping against hope that Ron wouldn't tease him about this – or worse – get mad at him for buying Ginny a present. But it seemed Ron was still a bit tired, or had a lot in his mind, because all he said in reply was a weak grunt. 

_Is he alright?_ Thought Harry, giving his friend a quizzical look. 

The two boys entered the sweet shop, loud chattering welcoming them inside, where a number of students from Hogwarts were busy looking at the various sweets lined up in shelves and stacked up on tables. Harry squeezed through the many students sampling the candies excitedly, Ron right behind him. He walked through the aisles, trying to find the perfect present for his date. He gave a small "aha!" after the two reached an aisle with shelves stacked with chocolates in various shapes and sizes: Chocolates for Special Occasions. The two boys perused through the shelves (Ron seemed to have woken up after seeing all the chocolate in front of him), amazed at the amount of detail each chocolate had. After a few minutes, Harry decided to buy a box of chocolate roses, which astonished him, as each stalk smelled like a real rose, but tasted like chocolate.

"Let's go," said Harry, taking the bag from the owner and walking out of the shop. Upon stepping out onto the street, he saw two familiar people walking a few feet in front of them. "Ginny! Hermione!"

The two girls turned their heads, waving at Harry. They walked to the two boys, Hermione nervous at the sight of Ron, who was looking away from the two girls. 

"Where are you two headed?" asked Harry, giving them both a smile. 

"We were just headed to the Three Broomsticks," replied Ginny. "Neither one of us really need anything for the ball, and we both didn't want to stay at the castle, so we decided to come down here and just talk. Say, would you like to come with us?"

"Sure. We'd lo—"

"Actually Harry, can we go to Zonko's first?" interjected Ron, grabbing a hold of Harry's arm. "I need to buy something…"

"Umm…sure, Ron. We'll just meet you two there. Is that alright?"

"Of course," said Ginny, giving her brother a weird look and Harry a smile. "We'll save you guys seats."

Harry nodded, following Ron, who was already a few feet away from the two girls. Hermione eyed him apprehensively, thinking about the happenings of last night. She was shaken out of her thoughts, however, when Ginny nudged her in the shoulder. "Hermione? Are you alright? You were a bit spaced out there. Let's go."

"Right. Sorry," she said, blushing a bit. The two girls entered the bar, looking around for an empty table, finally finding one at the back of the pub. They ordered two butterbeers for themselves and two extra bottles for the boys.  

"Ron didn't look too well, didn't he? I wonder what's wrong with him?" said Ginny with concern. "He's usually more lively on Hogsmeade weekends."

"He's probably just tired from all the cleaning we had to do last night," replied Hermione, giving a fond smile and taking a sip of her drink.

"Oh yeah. I forgot you two had detention last night. So, anything interesting happen?"

Hermione choked into her tankard, her cheeks slowly flushing red. She set the heavy glass on the table quietly, trying to look as casual as possible. "No. Nothing interesting happened last night."

Ginny smiled inwardly. "For the cleverest witch in her year, you are a horrible liar, Hermione. Now come on. I promise I won't make fun of you or anything."

"Alright…" sighed Hermione. She told the redhead the events during the detention: her and Ron touching hands; her and Ron exchanging looks; and her and Ron almost sharing a kiss. She even told Ginny about the uncharacteristic peck on the cheek she gave Ron…

~~*~~~*~~

"Well I'll be damned! You can talk!" said Harry in an amused tone. "For a minute there I thought something happened last night that caused you to act a bit odd today. So, what did you need at Zonko's?"

"Actually, I don't want to go to Zonko's. I wanted to talk to you," said Ron, pulling Harry towards a bench in front of the Owl Post Office. "I've decided to ask Hermione to the ball today."

"Well, it's about time!" exclaimed Harry with a roll of his eyes. "So, are you going to ask her in front of Ginny and I?"

"No, you prat!" said Ron, giving his friend an annoyed look. "You're going to take my sister to another table while I ask Hermione. Don't forget: I wasn't around when _you _asked my sister to the ball. So you owe me!"

"Fine, fine," sighed Harry, as the two stood up, walking towards the Three Broomsticks. "But why the sudden urge to ask her? Yesterday, you were saying it would be too awkward if you asked her too soon." A mischievous smile spread across his face. "Did something happen last night that you're trying to withhold from me?"

"Yeah. I almost kissed her, alright?!" replied Ron, looking straight ahead. "But it didn't happen because that bloody cat ruined the moment. I could've asked her then!"

The two boys spent the rest of the walk in silence, finally arriving at the busy Three Broomsticks. Ron scanned the crowd for Ginny and Hermione, finding the two talking at a table near the back of the room. Ginny had her mouth slightly open in shock, listening raptly to Hermione, whose fave resembled a tomato. _I guess Ginny knows about last night_.

"Here we go," he sighed, walking briskly towards the chatting girls. 

"Hello girls!" greeted Harry from behind Ron. "Hey Ginny, can I speak to you for a minute?"

"Of course," replied Ginny, following Harry to an unoccupied table on the other side of the room. She looked back at the previous table she had occupied, where Ron had now takes her seat and was giving Hermione an uncomfortable smile. "So Harry, what did you want to talk to me about?" asked Ginny sitting across the boy.

"Actually, Ron wanted me to take you to a different table," explained Harry. "He wanted to be alone with Hermione."

"Why is that?"

"Because the git finally plucked up the courage to ask her to the ball."

"Oh…" said Ginny with a smile, looking at the pair with amusement. Her attention shifted, however, when she heard the doors into the pub open. "Oh no…" Ginny gasped, covering her mouth with her hand.

"What?"

~~*~~~*~~ 

"Listen Hermione: we need to talk," said Ron, occupying the seat his sister had just vacated. He looked at Hermione, who was still a bit red, and gave her an uncomfortable smile. "That was a bit blunt, wasn't it?"

"Yes, a bit…" giggled Hermione. 

"Well listen, about last night," began Ron, running a hand through his hair. Hermione opened her mouth to say something, but Ron held his hand up to silence the girl. "Wait. Before you say anything, I just wanted to let you know that if something had happened last night – and I know you know what I'm talking about – I wouldn't have regretted a single thing."

He cleared his throat. "You're an extremely nice person, Hermione. And…I should've asked you this a long time ago…"

Hermione cocked her head to the side (ignoring the people who had just entered the pub), wondering what Ron was talking about.

"I would really, really lo—"

"Hermione!"

The two friends looked up, Hermione with a confused expression and Ron with an annoyed look, to see Neville Longbottom walking towards them with a smile.

"Hello Neville," smiled Hermione.

"Hello! Listen Hermione, I just wanted to thank you again for agreeing to accompany me to the ball!" said Neville, a huge grin on his face. "I'm sure we'll have fun and I'll try not to step on your toes too much! Well, see you later!"

Hermione waved goodbye, a friendly smile plastered on her face. 

"_You're going with Neville_?!" exclaimed Ron, his mouth wide in shock.

"Yes."

"Wh—when did he ask you?" inquired Ron, his eyes wide as saucers, his voice a mixture of anger and disappointment.

"Remember yesterday? When I told you to meet me at the Great Hall because I wanted to drop my books off? Well, he asked me right when I came back to the common room from my dormitory," explained Hermione quietly. "He said he hasn't asked anyone else. I didn't want him to feel awful, so I said yes."

Ron gave a grunt.

"Ron, weren't you about to ask me something?"

"I—I've forgotten what I wanted to ask you…"

"Oh. Well, once you remember what it is, then ask me, alright? Shall we join Harry and Ginny then?" asked Hermione, motioning towards the two.

Ron gave another grunt, stood up, and walked towards Harry and Ginny, not saying a single word.

~~**~~~**~~

*Gets pelted with various fruits and vegetables*

I know…I know…You guys are mad at me because Hermione's not going to the ball with Ron. And it's alright if you want to voice that out through the reviews. I can take it…I think. I know some of you are getting impatient with this story, and I apologize. But trust me, things will work out in the end. After all, patience is a cherished virtue, right? Besides, it's almost done, so hold on to your hats, folks, and things will get better. Did I make any sense there at all? I think midterm jitters are starting to get to me…By the way, please forgive me in advance if I do not update the next chapter soon. I have midterms this whole week, so pray for me! Well, thanks for reading this story. God bless!

~~:azaleafaye:~~


	10. A Simple Plan

Disclaimer: They're not mine. They're all J.K.'s

Author's Note: Before anything else, I would like to thank all of you who wished me luck on my midterms. Boy, did I need that! Thanks, you guys! Anyhow, I'm glad that I got positive reaction for what I did on the previous chapter. And thank you for not losing faith in me – as I've said before, everything will definitely work out in the end. Well, here's the next chapter. I had a huge difficulty in writing this chapter. For one thing, I experienced a long writer's block and couldn't write anything for three days! Second, I've had a lot of stuff on my mind, since I did extremely poorly on my Chemistry midterm. But anyhow, I hope you all like it. Some characters may seem out of character on this chapter. I apologize. Well then, enjoy! And please don't forget to review!

Chapter 10: A Simple Plan

Hermione sat in the library by herself; her book spread open on the table and bits of parchment on the floor. At a glance, some might think that she was being her usual studious self – always reading, completely immersed in whatever she's learning. But today, Hermione Granger had something else on her mind.

_I wonder what Ron was about to ask me,_ she thought, staring blankly at the open page. It had been three days since her conversation with Ron at the Three Broomsticks – and three days until the Halloween Ball. _What if he was about to—no, Hermione! That's preposterous! If he wanted to ask you, then he would've done so a long time ago. But didn't he say—_

"Good evening, Hermione!" 

The prefect looked up from her book, her thoughts interrupted by the petite redhead in front of her. "Hello, Ginny." 

"What are you doing?"

"Reading."

"I don't want to sound as though I'm stalking you, but I've been watching you: you haven't turned the page in about ten minutes. Is something on your mind?"

"No…I was just thinking about the concepts discussed on this chapter."

"Oh, right. Well then, would you like to return to the common room? It's getting late," offered Ginny.

Hermione shut her book with a snap. "Sure."

~~*~~~*~~

"You know Ron, you can always ask someone else. How about Padma? You can make it up to her for last year's ball."

Ron glared at his best friend. "Well gee, Harry. That's _really _going to make me feel better, reminding me of that miserable ball last year."

"Sorry," muttered Harry, sheepish grin on his face.

"It's all Neville's fault. _Why _did he have to ask her, of all people?!" whined Ron, his brows furrowed in anger and defeat.

_Right Ron. It's ALL Neville's fault. If you hadn't lost your temper, you'd be taking her to the ball already,_ thought Harry with a smirk. The two boys were sitting in front of a window overlooking the Hogwarts grounds, Ron on a couch and Harry on a squashy armchair, facing the portrait hole. Neither one said anything for a few seconds, each left to their own thoughts. They were alerted back to reality when the portrait hole swung open, revealing Ginny and Hermione.

"Good evening, you two!" greeted Hermione with a smile, setting her bag onto the floor. "What have you been up to?"

"Nothing much. We've just finished our homework half an hour ago," replied Ron, making room for his sister on the couch. "We're just talking about…things now."

"Like what?"

"The ball," said Harry with a shrug, ignoring Ron's deadly glare.

"Oh, has Ron finally plucked up the courage to ask the girl on the parchment?" inquired Hermione, trying her best to mask her jealousy. "What did she say?"

"I didn't ask her because she's already going with someone else," answered Ron, bitterness in his voice.

An awkward silence followed. Ginny bit the bottom of her lip, exchanging an uncomfortable glance with Harry. Ron remained silent, cracking his knuckles. Hermione remained rooted on spot, embarrassed for bringing up the question. The uncomfortable silence finally passed when Hermione bid the group good night. "Well, I better go to bed. I have an early start tomorrow, what with my prefect meeting at 7 o'clock. Good night then."

The three wished her a good night, Ron watching her intently as she ascended the stairs. He heaved a sigh, wrenching his eyes away from the staircase Hermione disappeared from.

"Awww…look at that, George. Our ickle Ronniekins has a broken heart."

Ron glared at the source of the voice. "Shut it, Fred!"

The Weasley twins, Fred and George, had approached the three friends. Prior to the girls' arrival, the twins were sitting on the other side of the room, cracking jokes and making those students sitting close to them laugh. They uncharacteristically kept quiet, however, when Hermione and Ginny entered the common room and began talking about the ball. 

"The truth hurts, doesn't it?" asked George with a smirk. "Listen, we couldn't help but overhear how Neville had beaten you to Hermione—"

"And we thought about doing our favorite brother a favor," added Fred, a mischievous glint in his eyes. 

"What are you talking about? I never said anything about Neville beating me in anything!" remarked Ron, looking at his brothers in suspicion. 

"We didn't say we heard it from you. We have other sources willing to divulge information about you, Ron," replied George, grinning at his sister. Ginny shifted in her seat uncomfortably, Ron glaring at her.

"But we didn't come here to talk about that. We came here to give you this—" Fred handed Ron a little package wrapped with fancy tissue. 

"What's this?" 

"No need to thank us, Ron. It's just a little gift from your kind and wonderful older brothers," replied George, flashing a triumphant smile. "We know you'd be going to the ball alone, since Hermione's already taken, so Fred and I thought it would only be proper if—"

"You looked your best," finished Fred with a nod. "Go on. Open it up then."

Ron gave his brothers a quizzical look then looked at Harry and Ginny, who both shrugged. He tore the fancy tissue off the package, revealing a handsome, royal blue dress robe, completely devoid of lace trimmings. Ron felt his jaw drop. "Where'd you get the money to get this?"

"That's our little secret," said George, giving Harry a wink. 

"You'll be the bell of the ball in those robes, Ron. Every single girl will be flocking towards you," remarked Fred. 

"Wait until Hermione sees you in those robes!" said Ginny with a smile.

Ron grinned and stood up, walking towards the staircase leading towards the boys' dormitories. "I'm gonna go put this upstairs. Thanks, you two…"

"That was really nice of you two, giving Ron better dress robes," said Ginny. "Where _did _you get the money?"

"Can't say Ginny. It's a secret," answered Fred. "Listen you two: there's something else that George and I wanted to tell you. We just needed to get Ron out of the room for it."

"What is it?" asked Harry, leaning forward, a look of curiosity on his face.

"WE have a little plan to get our two little lovebirds together during the ball," whispered George, a playful grin spreading across his face. 

"How? Hermione's going to the ball with Neville. She'd spend the whole time with him," said Ginny, skeptical.

"Are you saying you doubt your own brothers' ability?" remarked Fred in mock outrage. "Don't worry about Neville. We've got something _special _planned for him." 

"Well now, what's this simple plan of yours then?" asked Harry somewhat excitedly. 

George gave a wicked grin, called for Harry and Ginny to move closer, and whispered excitedly his and Fred's plan for getting rid of Neville. "And once we do that, one of you can lead Hermione to wherever our dear ickle Ronniekins is moping about, then poof!"

"We will have worked our magic!" 

Harry gave Ginny and amused look. "Let's hope you two don't get into trouble for doing this. You must care for Ron a lot, going through great lengths just to make him happy."

"Eh, well…what can I say, the boy grows on you after awhile," replied George. 

"Besides, once he and Hermione are together, we'll have more reasons to make fun of him," grinned Fred.

"So, what have you four been talking about while I was gone?"

Ron had finally come back to the common room, having been gone for about ten minutes, still wearing a grin. 

"Nothing Ron…nothing…" dismissed Fred with a wave. "We were just about to leave anyway…well, have a great evening you three."

"Cheers!" followed George, giving them a cheery wave.

Ron watched as his twin brothers walked out of the common room. "Where are they going and what did they say to you two?"

"Probably the kitchens. And they didn't say anything to us…nothing at all…"

Ron eyed his best friend. "Right…so, wanna play a game of chess then?"

"Sure…just let me win this time, alright?"

"Ha! That's _really _gonna happen, Harry!" 

~~**~~~**~~

Eep! So…how was it? As I've said before, I'm sorry if some of the characters seemed different. I've just gotten over my writer's block, and usually the first thing I write after overcoming a writer's block ends up being really…well, not well written. Please let me know what you guys thought of this chapter. And be honest. The next chapter will probably be the last, I'm not sure yet. Also, I'm not sure if I'll continue this story into the rest of the year…I'm still thinking about it. If not, don't worry. I have a new story in the works. I'll let you guys know about that on the next chapter. Well, thanks for taking the time and reading this humble story of mine. Bless you all for being so kind. 

~~:azaleafaye:~~ 


	11. An Answered Curiosity

Disclaimer: They're all J.K. Rowling's creation. She's a genius!

Author's Note: Well, here it is folks: the last chapter! I again would like to thank all of you who patiently waited for the next chapters and stood firm with this story. I'm so glad that people appreciate my first fanfic! Thanks SO MUCH! I'm still debating whether or not to continue on with this…but we'll see…if I do decide to continue this story for the rest of their fifth year, then I will do that, but not immediately. I have this other story in mind that I've been _dying _to write about…I might do that one first before continuing on with the story…well, again, thank you for reading this little story of mine. And lastly, please don't forget to review this last chapter! Enjoy!

Chapter Eleven: An Answered Curiosity

Hermione sat in front of her dresser, admiring her reflection. The Halloween ball was minutes away and everyone had been excitedly talking about it – even the prefect. Initially, she had planned to leave her bushy hair down and wear the same periwinkle blue robes she wore last year. But two hours ago, Parvati and Lavender dragged her out of the library, intent on fixing her up. At first, the prefect insisted that she didn't need to be "fixed up," seeing as she was only going to the ball with Neville as friends. She gave up, however, when the two girls continued to drag her back to their dormitory.

"You look so pretty, dear!"

"Thank you," said Hermione to the mirror. She smiled at her reflection, eyeing her now tamed hair, its soft curls cascading down her shoulders. She wore the same robes as last year, which matched the light touch of eye shadow Lavender had applied onto her. She wore no blush on her cheeks (Lavender and Parvati thought she didn't need it – they were sure her cheeks will turn red the natural way), but her lips were painted with a glossy cinnamon red. Hermione smiled again. _Wow…those two _really_ worked their magic!_

"Hermione? Are you ready to go?"

Hermione turned her head and nodded at the two other girls. "Yes."

And with that, she stood up, inhaled sharply, and followed the two girls out of the room.

~~*~~~*~~

"I wonder where Hermione is?" said Ginny, giving Harry a bewildered look. The boy gave a shrug in response, nodding at the Weasley twins, who went through the portrait hole with big grins. 

"I can't believe those two!" sighed Seamus with a roll of his eyes. "Why do they do this all the time?!"

"We're going to be late!" agreed Dean.

Ron scowled, leaning against the wall. _Girls…why do they always take so long, _thought Ron, crossing his arms across his chest. _It's only a ball. Taking so long just to get ready; it wouldn't make much of a dif—holy shit…_

Ron felt his jaw drop. Hermione descended into the Common Room like a wingless angel in blue. "I'll meet you there, Harry," said Ron to Harry, who was right next to him, running out of the Common Room.

"Wow, Hermione! You look great!"

"Thanks, Ginny. So do you!" the prefect answered, beaming at her friends. "Where's Ron?"

"He's going to meet us there," said Harry.

"Oh."

"Shall we go then? Neville's waiting for all of us by the entrance," mentioned Seamus, offering his arm to Lavender. 

Hermione nodded, disappointment apparent in her face, leading the group out of the Common Room.

"She'll sweep my brother off his feet!" smiled Ginny, taking a hold of Harry's arm.

~~*~~~*~~

The evening, so far, had been a blast. Everyone was enjoying themselves, dancing to the fun and beautiful tunes of the Weird Sisters (Dumbledore had managed to hire them for the second year).  Those students not dancing were either chatting happily, drinking butterbeer, or were out on the many balconies, staring at the stars.

"Shall we sit this one out?" asked Harry, a huge grin on his face. He and Ginny had been dancing the whole hour since the ball began.

"Yeah," answered Ginny, "I'm a little thirsty anyway." The two walked towards the refreshment table, Harry handing an intricate goblet to Ginny.

"Are you having fun, Ginny?"

"Oh yeah, you're a great date, Harry!" said Ginny her cheeks flushing red. "I'm glad I agreed to be your date!"

Harry smiled sheepishly. "Thanks Gin—AAH!" Harry dropped his goblet to the floor and gave a swift kick to something firm underneath the table.

"Ow! What the hell was that for, Harry?!" exclaimed Fred, rubbing his head as he came out from underneath the table, his twin sniggering beside him.

"What was that for?! You grabbed my leg from out of nowhere, you dolt!" yelled Harry, a bit nerved. "Next time you want to get my attention, just call out my name! I'll be there, you know!"

"Well, we didn't think of doing that," said George with a grin.

"Obviously," scoffed Ginny with a roll of her eyes. 

"Anyway…are you two ready to do this?" asked Fred, taking a vial of pink liquid from within his robes, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"Although I don't fully agree with what we are about to do – yes, I am ready," said Ginny. "Poor Neville…"

"Don't worry, Ginny. It's for a good cause. Besides, look at Hermione," said Fred, nodding towards Neville and Hermione. The prefect wore a weird expression of pain and happiness on her face – Neville kept stepping on her toes. "She doesn't look to happy, doesn't she?"

A few minutes passed, the three watching as Neville apologized to Hermione every five seconds, until the song finally ended. "Alright. He's coming over here," announced George, taking the goblet Fred had handed to him and pouring the pink concoction in the vial. "Where's Ron?"

"We haven't seen him since the Common Room. Oh hello, Neville!"

"Hello Harry! Having a fun time?" asked Neville, taking the goblet Fred or George (he wasn't sure who it was) handed him. 

"Oh yes we are! Hello Hermione!"

Hermione gave the group a pained smile. "Hello. Say Neville, could you please find us a table? I really want to sit down."

Neville nodded and walked away, goblet still in hand. He stopped, however, when Draco Malfoy blocked his path, Crabbe and Goyle right behind him. "I see you've finally found your true calling, Longbottom," smirked Malfoy, wrenching the goblet from Neville's hand. "Thanks boy."

Crabbe and Goyle snickered as Malfoy drank the liquid, Neville looking on in fright. But the two boys' smiles soon faded when, with a poof of pink smoke, Malfoy disappeared. In his place was a boy, his face painted in white and his lips colored red, wearing tight black pants and a tight black shirt with the words "I like boys" embroidered in rhinestones. He ran his velvet-gloved hands through his hair, which was colored hot pink, his eyes wide-open in panic. The whole room laughed: Draco Malfoy had just been turned into a gay mime.

All the fright within Neville disappeared as he pointed at Malfoy, laughing with delight. Malfoy, unable to speak, motioned gracefully for his goons (more like boy toys…hee_) to jump Neville. And they did, slamming the poor boy onto the floor, demanding that he change their boss back. 

"Break it up! Now!" screamed Professor McGonnogall (sp?), her lips as thin as paper. "Mr. Longbottom, Mr. Crabbe, Mr. Goyle, and Mr. Mal—Mr. Malfoy! I demand to know what happened here!"

"I-I-I didn't do anything, professor!" whimpered Neville, his face bloody.

"Longbottom – you're injured. Go to Madame Pomfrey right now. And take Mr. Malfoy with you," ordered the stern witch. "And as for you two, follow me to my office. The rest of you, continue on with the ball!"

"Well, that was fun, wasn't it?" said George, watching Neville and Malfoy exit the room. 

"Malfoy looked much better, didn't he?" remarked Fred. "I reckon he liked his new look!"

"Yeah – he was speechless," added his twin with a laugh. "Too bad Ron wasn't here to see that. Would've lifted his spirits, seeing Malfoy make a fool of himself."

"Where is Ron, anyway? I haven't seen him at all this evening," said Hermione with a pout.

"To be honest, Hermione, no one has seen him since the common room…"

"He was at the common room? I guess I didn't see him…well, I'm going outside then…I need some fresh air…"

The four watched as Hermione waved goodbye and exited out into the balcony. 

"What in the hell? That was _not_ supposed to happen!" said Ginny, smacking the back of her brothers' heads.

"It got Neville out of the way, didn't it?" shrugged Fred. "Besides, Malfoy looked much better with pink hair!"

Ginny sighed and rolled her eyes. "It's all up to you now, Ron…"

~~*~~~*~~

Ron took a drink from the goblet in his hand, glancing inside the hall._ Hmm…wonder what's happening in there,_ thought Ron, as laughter rang from within the Great Hall. _It's probably just Fred and George doing something…_

Ron shrugged and took another drink from the cup. He had been sitting out in the balcony for about an hour, staring at the stars, left to his own thoughts. Oddly enough, his thoughts kept reverting back to the same person: Hermione. He couldn't stop thinking about her – especially how pretty she looked tonight. And he was mad that he didn't tell her how gorgeous she looked; mad that he didn't control his temper before; mad that he didn't get the chance to take her to the ball. This train of thought continued, Ron calling himself demeaning names, until the clicking of shoes onto granite caught his attention. He looked up and gasped: it was Hermione. 

~~*~~~*~~

Hermione leaned against the stone banister, staring at the stars. She sighed. _I wonder where Ron is…_

"Where's Neville?"

Hermione jumped, startled at the sound of Ron's voice. She turned to look at the boy she had just been thinking of.

"Ron! Everybody's been wondering where you were!" said Hermione with a huge smile. "Have you been out here the whole evening?"

"Where's Neville?"

"Oh. Neville's in the hospital wing – Crabbe and Goyle injured him," replied Hermione. "They got mad because Malfoy turned into a weird mime…"

"And I wasn't there?!"

Hermione giggled. "That's what George said. I think your brothers were behind it all…"

"They probably were," said Ron with a smirk. "So…have you had a good evening so far?"

"Honestly? It's been a painful night. Neville stepped on my toes every five seconds!"

Ron smirked. "Are you alright now?"

"Yeah…I'm alright now…"

An awkward silence followed, their thoughts drowned by the music from inside the Great Hall. 

"You look really beautiful tonight, Hermione – even more so than last year," said Ron, the tips of his ears going red. 

Hermione looked at Ron, her mouth slightly open in shock, a blush creeping on her cheeks. "Thanks, Ron…you look really good yourself. And I see those new robes don't have any lace on them…that's nice!" 

The two shared an uncomfortable laugh that led into another awkward pause.

"Listen Hermione…I've remembered what it was that I wanted to ask you at the Three Broomsticks…"

The prefect tilted her head to one side, a curious expression plastered on her face.

Ron cleared his throat. "Remember that girl on the parch—"

"Wait! You have a twig stuck on the back of your robes!" interrupted Hermione, stifling a laugh.

"Where?" Ron turned his head, trying to see. But Hermione stopped him, insisting that she brush the twig off his robes. She got on the tips of her toes (Ron's much taller than she is…), one hand on Ron's left shoulder, the other trying to brush the twig off. She over leaned and lost her balance.

"Careful…" said Ron, wrapping his arm around Hermione's waist.

"Sorry…now what about this girl?" she asked, slowly getting on her toes again and grabbing for the twig.

"The girl I was planning to ask to the ball…that girl was you, Hermione…"

Hermione froze in shock, the twig completely forgotten. She slowly looks at Ron, her arms still lightly draped on his shoulders. "What?"

"I wanted to ask you when we were out by the lake – but I lost my temper…" 

Both gave a guilty look, Hermione tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ears. 

"I've wanted to ask you since the announcement…and I told myself last year that if there's a ball this year, I'd take you – but I obviously didn't…you probably wouldn't have said yes anyway…"

"Why do you say that?" asked Hermione, giving Ron a bewildered look. 

"Because I'm Ron – I'm not a quidditch star like Viktor or good at Herbology like Neville…I'm really not that special…"

Hermione gave Ron a sad look and raised her hand to touch his cheek, slowly bringing his face closer to hers. And in a few seconds, she was kissing him – a soft, and gentle kiss on the lips that sent shivers down her spine. "You may not think you're special…but I do…"

The two blushed. 

"And I don't care if you're not a quidditch star or good at any subject…I like you for being you, Ron." Hermione gave him a sincere smile. 

"Thanks…" said Ron, his cheeks as red as the tips of his ears. "Erm…Hermione…since Neville's in the hospital wing…would it be alright if…er…we…danced or something?"

"I would really love that Ron," she replied.

"Good. And umm…I was wondering…if I had asked you before Neville, would you have said yes?"

"No."

"Oh," said Ron, disappointed.

"I would have said, 'Finally!' and then I'd give you a kiss."

Ron grinned. "Well then…would you like to dance?"

"Finally!" And she pulled his face closer to hers, giving Ron a longer kiss.

"If I ask you to dance again, will you give me another kiss?" wondered Ron, breaking away from the kiss. He started walking back to the Great Hall, Hermione's hand in his.

"Maybe…wait Ron!" She got on her tiptoes and placed a hand on his shoulder. "I forgot about the twig!"

~~*~~~*~~

"Oh, isn't that beautiful, George?" said Fred, wiping a fictitious tear off his cheeks. "Those two are so cute together."

"And to think, it was our genius that did that. If it wasn't for our brilliant potion, Malfoy would not have turned into a mime and Neville would not be in the Hospital Wing…" George smiled, watching his brother and Hermione glide across the dance floor. "What a wonderful evening…"

The boys sighed.

"Not only are we the best practical jokers, but we're also regular cupids…"

"And you are also going to spend tomorrow evening in detention."

The two boys turned around, facing a not-so-happy Professor McGonnogal. 

"Damn…"

~~**~~~**~~

So…how was the end? I told you guys they'd eventually end up together. I'm sorry if it was a bit too fluffy or whatever…I'm not very good at writing romantic stuff…and the whole gay mime thing was kinda weird, I think…I also apologize if I messed up the name of the singing group from the last book…I can't remember if they were called weird sisters…hee_ me and my weird brain…honestly, I was giggling the whole time I was writing this chapter…it was so cute…well, again, I thank everyone who stuck to this story like glue and didn't get tired of the short chapters and the really annoying things I threw in here. You guys rule! And I'll make a more formal thank you next time…thanks so much to all of you who helped boost a simple girl's ego by reviewing! God bless you all!

~~:azaleafaye:~~


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